Ukraine has cut ties with North Korea, which has endorsed the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), declared by pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donbas region.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released on its website on the 13th local time, "North Korea's decision is regarded as an attempt to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Earlier, DPR government head Dennis Pucillin said through a Telegram channel that "North Korea approved the DPR today," and said, "This is another victory for our diplomacy."
North Korean ambassador to the United Nations Kim Song also told reporters: "We are ready to fully support Russia's position in relation to the DPR and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR)."
The DPR and LPR are republics declared by pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts in the Donbas Region of eastern Ukraine in 2014, and they were granted independence just before Russia invaded Ukraine.
At the end of last month, Syria, backed by Russian-backed President Bashar al-Assad, has also recognized their independence.